How contagious is a nail fungus?

introduction

Many patients suffer from nail fungus (onychomycosis) and wonder whether nail fungus is contagious. In principle, nail fungus is a disease that is triggered by a fungus, usually a filamentous fungus (dermatophyte). This fungus has different ways of spreading. Among other things, it has so-called spores, which can sometimes survive for a long time, for example in swimming pool furrows or on the nail scissors of a podiatrist. These spores make the nail fungus contagious

Causes of Nail Fungus

There are several causes that lead to nail fungus being contagious and particularly common in public showers. One possible cause of becoming infected (infected) with nail fungus is wearing the same shoes or socks as a patient who has become infected with nail fungus. The fungi feel particularly comfortable in the moist, warm environment of the socks and if a patient who is not yet infected with nail fungus slips into the socks, the fungus can easily spread to the patient's nail, which is still healthy, and infect it.

Another cause of being infected with a nail fungus can be that a patient has athlete's foot, which he does not treat properly, which then leads to the athlete's foot spreading to the nail and the patient becoming infected with nail fungus through the athlete's foot.

Another reason for which a patient can become infected with nail fungus is the poor hygiene in some foot salons or swimming pools. For example, a patient can become infected with nail fungus if she goes to a pedicure and a patient has been treated with nail fungus before her. If the instruments such as nail scissors / nail files etc. are not properly cleaned and disinfected, the infectious nail fungus can be transmitted to the second patient through the instruments. Therefore, when choosing a nail salon for the pedicure, it is important to pay attention to whether the podiatrist works with disinfected instruments or changes them between patients, or whether the same instruments continue to be used without being adequately cleaned in between. It is also important to know that the nail fungus is very contagious and that it is not enough to hold the nail scissors under water for a short time, but that they should best be disinfected and another nail scissors should be used for the next patient in order to avoid it that the contagious nail fungus is transmitted from one patient to the next. Above all, patients whose blood circulation in the vessels is disturbed or reduced (e.g. diabetics) should take special care not to become infected with a contagious nail fungus, as it takes a long time for the patient to get rid of the nail fungus due to the poor blood circulation.

In general, public showers or swimming pools are also at great risk of becoming infected with nail fungus. Since larger groups of people often shower together here without the floor being cleaned in between, it is easy for the infectious nail fungus to look for a new pair of feet through the water on the floor and to infect them. However, the risk of getting nail fungus in the swimming pool or in public showers is not the same for every patient. Patients whose immune system is weakened (for example, from a cold or from drugs that suppress the immune system or a disease that weakens the immune system) are particularly often affected. These patients in particular should take certain precautionary measures, as nail fungus is a contagious disease that is protracted and annoying and can sometimes also lead to pain.

Even if nail fungus is a contagious disease, it is also important to know that you do not automatically become infected with nail fungus just because your partner or family member has nail fungus and you use the same shower. Because even if the nail fungus is contagious, as with any other disease, certain risk factors must also be added, which then favor the infection and lead to a patient becoming infected with the fungus. This means that nail fungus is contagious and should be viewed with caution, but that there is no risk of infecting another patient just because they have used the same shower several hours earlier. Above all, it is important here that a nail fungus that is treated is much less likely to be contagious than a nail fungus that is not treated.

diagnosis

The diagnosis of nail fungus is often a visual diagnosis the affected nail appears yellowish and also often Pain caused. Whether it is a contagious nail fungus or not is difficult to diagnose and so it is generally assumed that there is a possibility that the nail fungus is contagious. In general, however, it must be assumed that almost everyone carries fungi in their skin on their feet or in their nails. However, it does not happen in every patient that the fungus breaks out and attacks the nail and affects large areas. This is what mainly plays out here immune system An important role is also played by the fact whether a patient is taking proper care of their feet and how often a patient creates a fungus-promoting environment (warm, damp shoes / socks). In general, one can say that the diagnosis of nail fungus can be diagnosed in many more people than is ultimately the case. However, it is important to know that a nail fungus does not always have to lead to symptoms but can survive for a long time unnoticed in the skin or in the toenails. In rare cases, however, this can also lead to an asymptomatic patient infecting a patient with nail fungus without showing symptoms himself. However, this is very rare.

Frequency distribution

Nail fungus is very common, and most importantly, it is very common for nail fungus to be contagious. This is why it is especially important in foot studios hygiene has top priority and that care is taken that the instruments are disinfected between two patients and that the podiatrist wears disposable gloves so that the infectious nail fungus has as little chance of being passed on from one patient to the other.

Therapy / prophylaxis

Since nail fungus is very contagious, especially in high-risk patients, it is important to recognize the risk and keep it as small as possible. There are various measures that can be taken to keep the contagious nail fungus away. On the one hand, the hygiene of the feet is particularly important, whereby it should be ensured that the foot also once cold showered should be and should not be applied daily. Furthermore, it is important to use flip flops or flip flops in swimming pools or public showers To wear sandals because the contagious nail fungus cannot get to the toenails via the tiles. In addition, the foot should generally be as good as possible often in the fresh air and not always be wrapped in warm socks and shoes because mushrooms love this warm environment. Especially when doing sports, you should make sure that the foot is removed from the damp and overheated shoes as quickly as possible, as this is the best environment for the athlete's foot to grow.